


Drowning in Sorrow

by MysticMoonlight_04



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Heartbreak, Mental Breakdown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2021-01-31 13:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21446863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticMoonlight_04/pseuds/MysticMoonlight_04
Summary: Trevor and Alucard get in a fight that causes more harm than intended.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	Drowning in Sorrow

Stars began to appear in the sky as the sun dropped below the horizon. Trevor, Sypha, and Alucard were on their way to Dracula’s Castle. They were hiking alongside a rushing river that ran white with foam against the jagged rocks that stuck out of the water. Sypha led the group, and Trevor brought up the rear. Alucard kept his gaze low as he walked between his companions. He was trying to clear his mind and calm his thoughts for the night. He listened to the ambient sound of the river and embraced the cool feeling of the wind in his hair. 

Trevor suddenly trudged up beside Alucard, ruining his peace.

“So, off to kill your father, huh?” Trevor asked. “That must be a nice feeling.”

“What do you want, Belmont?” Alucard asked as he scowled at the hunter.

“I’m just trying to make conversation,” Trevor replied. “The silence is killing me.”

“In that case, I wish it would hurry up and get the job done.”

“Hey, you need me,” Trevor retorted. “I’m the hunter in your little prophecy.”

“I am sure that Sypha and I could manage.”

“Yeah right,” Trevor said. “Well, what’s it like to go on a quest to kill your own father?”

“It has to be done,” Alucard replied as he looked back at the ground. “Like I said before, it is what my mother would have wanted.”

“Yes, but is it what _you_ want?”

“My mother’s wish is mine,” Alucard said simply.

“Trevor, leave him alone,” Sypha said from the front of the group. 

Trevor ignored her. “Must have been some woman if her death caused an all-out war.”

“I do not wish to speak of it,” Alucard said, tension rising in his voice. “I will do what must be done, and that is the end of it.”

Trevor walked a few paces ahead of the dhampir. “You know, maybe you should have done a better job at convincing your father that genocide isn’t necessary. I mean, it’s only the death of one woman, you don’t need to kill _everybody_ because of it.”

Alucard stopped dead in his tracks. His expression was a display of utter rage. 

“What did you just say, _Belmont?”_ he hissed.

Trevor stopped and turned to face Alucard. “I’m just saying, is the death of that woman really worth the lives of thousands?”

_“That woman_ was _my mother!”_ Alucard yelled. “You will not speak of her like she is replaceable!”

Sypha stopped and turned around, her eyes wide with shock. 

Trevor raised his hands defensively. “I didn’t—”

Alucard ignored him and teleported directly in front of the Belmont. “My mother helped people. She helped _humans!_ Ungrateful _humans_ who decided to turn their backs on her when she was unjustly accused of being a witch!” Alucard exclaimed, as he unsheathed his sword. 

“Hey, back off!” Trevor exclaimed. “Maybe it was your mother’s fault! What did she expect would happen if she married fucking _Dracula?!”_

Alucard was fuming with rage at the Belmont’s words. “You _dare_ say that this catastrophe is my mother’s fault? She did _nothing_ to deserve being burned at the stake! You did not know her! You did not know how kind she was, or how loving she was! She never harmed a single soul in her lifetime, and what was she repaid with? Answer me, Belmont! What did the _humans_ do to my mother?!”

Hot tears slipped down Alucard’s cheeks and brimmed his lashes as he held his sword to Trevor’s throat. 

Trevor scowled at the dhampir. “Yeah, okay, they killed her. That’s still no excuse for Dracula to wipe out the human race. An entire population for one life hardly seems reasonable. Besides, she’s only human, she was going to die at some point. What difference does it make?”

Alucard lunged at Trevor in absolute disbelief. “It makes all the difference, _Belmont!_ And I will make sure that you—!”

Trevor suddenly shoved Alucard back before the dhampir could attack him. The force of the push sent Alucard falling back—right into the rushing river. 

***

Alucard sank below the surface of the water within a few seconds. He struggled to resurface, but the raging current prevented him from moving freely through the water. Alucard began to panic. Running water was capable of killing vampires—even half-vampires. He couldn’t move, and he was running out of oxygen. His body was colliding with the river rocks at a high speed, and the impact was capable of breaking bones. Alucard’s energy was draining quickly as he thrashed around helplessly in the water. He couldn’t breathe, and the effect of water on a vampire was sucking the life force from him. His last thought was that he was going to die. Alucard’s eyelids fell closed, and he blacked out. 

***

“What is the matter with you?!” Sypha screamed as she stared at Trevor.

“He was being an ass!” Trevor replied. 

“Running water is lethal to vampires!” Sypha exclaimed as she ran to the river’s edge. 

Trevor refused to admit it, but he had forgotten that little detail about vampires. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but Sypha caught the slightest hint of shock on his face. 

“Shit...” the hunter muttered. 

“We don’t have much time!” Sypha exclaimed.

Without hesitation, Sypha sprinted down the length of the river in the direction of the raging water. Trevor followed close behind her.

“I can’t see him!” Sypha yelled, her voice full of worry. “He could die!”

“I didn’t know!” The hunter said, before coming to a stop.

Sypha glared angrily at Trevor. “This is _your_ fault! Why do you always have to start a fight with Alucard? Why can’t you just leave him alone?!”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Trevor said. 

“Tell that to Alucard when we find him dead on the riverbank!” Sypha yelled. 

“Not if I can help it...” Trevor said, before diving into the river.

The water was cold, and it was impossible to move against the current. Trevor let himself be carried away, but he was careful as to not collide with the jagged rocks. He started to propel himself forward so he could catch up to Alucard, wherever the dhampir was. Trevor struggled to remain above the surface of the water, but it was difficult considering the force of the current. 

The water pulled him down for a few seconds, and after Trevor resurfaced, he saw a dark form a few feet in front of him. Once the hunter swam closer, he realized that the form was Alucard. Alucard’s body was being limply carried away by the current, and he was showing no signs of consciousness. Trevor frantically reached out in front of him and managed to grab Alucard’s arm. 

“I got him, Sypha!” Trevor called to the Speaker, who had been following Trevor on the riverbank.

“Hang on!” Sypha called.

The Speaker ran to the edge of the river a few feet in front of where Trevor was. Sypha held her arm out, and Trevor grabbed it before he could float past her. Sypha pulled him onto the riverbank as Trevor held on to Alucard with his other hand. Once the hunter was on dry land, he positioned his hands under Alucard’s arms and pulled the dhampir out of the river. Alucard’s heels dragged in the dirt as Trevor pulled him far from the water. The hunter set the dhampir down in the grass. 

Mud and dirt covered Alucard’s coat, and his hair was a damp mess of tangles and knots. His arms lay limply by his side, and his chest barely rose and fell with weak, feeble breaths. Alucard’s cheeks looked slightly sunken, and there were scratches and bruises on his pale face.

Trevor and Sypha knelt beside Alucard’s unmoving body. Sypha reached out a hesitant hand and gripped Alucard’s shoulder.

“Alucard?” she asked, as she gently shook the dhampir. “Alucard, can you hear me?”

There was no response. 

“Alucard, wake up!” Trevor tried. 

Sypha looked up at Trevor with a worried look on her face. “You...you don’t think he’s...?”

“No,” Trevor responded quickly. “He’s not dead. Look, he’s still breathing.”

“Alucard, please! Wake up!” Sypha yelled.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen for a while.” Trevor said slowly. “When you told me about the running water thing, I had honestly forgotten—”

“And you could have _killed_ him!” Sypha interrupted. 

“But...” Trevor continued. “I’ve looked over my family’s bestiary countless times. Yes, running water can kill vampires, but Alucard is no ordinary vampire. I’m sure running water could still kill him, but it would take a hell of a lot more time.”

“So is he going to be all right, or not?” Sypha asked impatiently. 

“He...should be?” Trevor said, though uncertain. “Listen, Sypha, he's still alive, so that’s got to mean something, right? If a human comes into contact with running water, it’s no big deal. He’s half-human, so I’m assuming that his human side is keeping him alive.”

“But why isn’t he waking up?” Sypha asked. 

“The water still took a toll on his life force,” Trevor said. “I’m not exactly sure what we can do about that, other than let him rest.”

“I agree,” Sypha said. 

“Then again, none of this would’ve happened if he wasn’t such a bastard,” Trevor mumbled. 

“You started it!” Sypha exclaimed. 

Trevor merely sighed in response. Sypha walked farther away from the river, into the surrounding forest. 

“Bring Alucard over here,” the Speaker said. “I’m going to start a fire. It’s getting cold out, and Alucard needs to dry off.”

Trevor let out an exasperated sigh as he looked at the unconscious dhampir. The hunter lifted Alucard up from under his arms, and he dragged him through the dirt once again. Alucard showed no signs of response, and he remained limp in Trevor’s arms. 

“Could you maybe not drag him through the mud?” Sypha asked as she observed Trevor.

Trevor scoffed. “There is _no_ way that I’m carrying him. It would be like...carrying a corpse or something.”

Sypha rolled her eyes. “It’s no wonder that he doesn’t like you. You treat him like he’s not a living person.”

Trevor laughed as he dropped Alucard by the campsite. “He’s hardly a living person. Aren’t vampires undead?”

“Yes, but he is only _half_-vampire,” Sypha responded. 

“So he’s half-dead,” Trevor said. “Got it.”

Sypha threw a rock at Trevor. 

“What?” the hunter asked. “I’m just...stating the facts.”

Sypha shook her head. She used her magic to start a small fire, then she knelt down next to Alucard. The Speaker gently placed her hand on his chest. Alucard’s heartbeat was weak, but present. Sypha sighed with relief. 

“It’s hard to believe that he’s got a heart,” Trevor said as he sat by the fire, leaning against a tree.

“It’s also hard to believe that you still won’t leave him alone,” Sypha retorted. “Oh, wait—actually, I _can_ believe that, because you are a stubborn ass.”

“Come on, Sypha,” Trevor said. “I was making a joke. Is that not allowed?”

Sypha scoffed. “A joke? Is that what you call the things that you said to Alucard back there? What was it...? Oh! Right! I believe you said ‘So, off to kill your father, huh? That must be a nice feeling.’ ”

“Sypha—” Trevor interrupted.

“No!” the Speaker scolded. “I want to know what you have against him. I mean, _seriously_, who says something like that?! Do you want me to remind you of the other things that you said to him?”

“No, Sypha,” Trevor sighed, looking at the ground. “I get it, okay? I was a complete asshole, and I should never have said any of those things.”

“Go on...” Sypha said expectantly. 

“It’s just...he’s a _vampire_,” Trevor said. “I _hunt_ vampires, not..._work together_ with them! And sometimes he’s just so..._irritating!_ He gets on my nerves with his pompous attitude and his perfect looks!”

Sypha sighed. “It still doesn’t make it right...what you did. I think you really hurt him—and I don’t just mean the water. Didn’t you see how angry he got when you spoke about his mother?”

“Yeah,” Trevor muttered. 

“Did you see the tears?”

Trevor looked up. “What?”

“The tears, Trevor,” Sypha repeated. “He was crying.”

“I...I know,” Trevor said. “I saw them.”

***

There was a long silence between the two, the only sounds coming from the crackling fire and the river. Sypha remained by Alucard’s side, occasionally checking on him to make sure he was okay. His heartbeat was getting stronger, which Sypha took as a good sign. 

Trevor closed his eyes in an attempt to get some sleep. He was about to drift off when he heard shuffling from Sypha’s direction. He opened his eyes, and he saw Alucard twitching on the ground. The dhampir started coughing and gasping for breath. Sypha quickly turned him on his side, and water left Alucard’s lungs as he continued to cough. Trevor rushed to Alucard’s side, and he lifted the dhampir into a sitting position. The hunter kept his hand on Alucard’s shoulder to steady him as the coughs shook his small frame. When Alucard’s coughing fit ended, he opened his eyes and glanced around wearily, before his gaze landed on Trevor. 

“Do not touch me, _Belmont_,” he hissed as he scrambled away from the hunter. 

Alucard quickly rose to his feet, but a wave of dizziness hit him and he collapsed. Trevor caught him, which earned the Belmont a weak punch to the face from Alucard. 

“What the hell, Alucard?!” Trevor exclaimed as he gripped the dhampir’s shoulders and turned him so that Trevor and Alucard were face-to-face. 

“Let go of me!” Alucard yelled.

Alucard kicked the hunter and stood once again. He was still unsteady, but he did not fall. Trevor and Sypha stood as well, with Sypha giving Trevor a worried glance. Alucard backed up into a tree, and leaned on it for support. 

“Alucard, you need to rest,” Sypha said. “The running water took a lot out of you. You...you look awful.”

“I will be fine, Sypha,” Alucard said, though his voice was weak. 

“Alucard—” Trevor said, but he was cut off.

“I do not want to hear it,” Alucard said in a low tone. “Whatever it is, I do not want to hear it.”

Alucard turned around and walked away from the campsite. He needed a moment to himself. He didn’t want to think about what Trevor had said before the hunter had nearly killed him, but the words echoed in his mind. 

_Is it what _you_ want?_ Trevor had asked him about having to kill Dracula. _My mother’s wish is mine_, Alucard had answered. The truth was that Alucard did not want to kill his father. His father had helped him grow up into the man he was today. He taught him about his vampiric nature, and how to use his abilities. Dracula was the man who had raised Alucard. It was hard for the dhampir to push away the feelings of love he still had for his father, and instead focus on the fact that Dracula had gone mad. Alucard knew that Dracula had to be stopped, but that didn’t mean that the dhampir had to enjoy it. 

Alucard continued to walk through the woods, and the glow of the campfire behind him slowly disappeared from sight. 

_Maybe you should have done a better job at convincing your father that genocide isn’t necessary_, Trevor had said. Had Alucard failed? Should he have stopped his father from the very beginning? He had tried to, but it had almost resulted in Alucard’s death. 

The dhampir sighed, and he suddenly remembered how he had reacted to Trevor’s insults. Alucard had defended his mother, but he had spoken down to the humans. He had called them ungrateful, and he had spoken of them with spite. His mother had loved the humans, enough that she would allow herself to die for their sake. She had begged Dracula not to harm them, but he did not listen. That left Alucard to defend the humans, but so far he had not done a very good job. He couldn’t even get along with the Belmont. 

Alucard stopped walking and sat down, leaning against a large stone. The river had drained all of his energy, and it was becoming difficult to breathe, as if his thoughts were suffocating him. Alucard shivered and brought his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around himself as he tried to catch his breath. He felt awful, and he wasn’t sure if it was solely because of the running water. Alucard felt his composure falling apart. He took a shaky breath, and closed his eyes. 

“I am sorry, Mother,” he whispered. “I...I am failing you. I do not know if I can do this. I...I do not want to kill Father. I cannot...”

Alucard trailed off, and sniffed as a tear fell slowly down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly as he rested his head in his gloved hands.

“Alucard?”

The dhampir flinched when his name was called, as the broken silence had startled him. Alucard looked up and saw Trevor emerge from the trees. The dhampir’s expression fell and he looked away from the hunter. 

“Hey, Alucard,” Trevor said slowly. “Can I talk to you?”

“Leave me alone, Belmont,” Alucard said quietly. 

“Okay, well, that’s not happening,” Trevor said, as he sat down next to Alucard. 

There was a silence between the two as Trevor tried to figure out how to communicate his thoughts to Alucard. He didn’t want to make the dhampir feel worse than he already did. Alucard sniffed and took a shaky breath as he stared at the ground. Trevor watched him for a moment before finally speaking.

“Alucard,” he began slowly. “I...I didn’t mean to hurt you. What I said back there? That was really senseless of me. I should never have said those things to you. I understand that you did your best to stop your father—“

“Stop,” Alucard said miserably. “Please, I do not want to speak of it. Just...just leave me be.”

“I can’t do that,” Trevor said. 

Alucard looked up at him, tears in his eyes. “Why not?”

“I can’t let you sit here and suffer on your own because of something that I did,” the Belmont said. “I’m sure your mother was a wonderful woman, and...I’m sorry for what I said about her. This war is not her fault, and neither is it yours.”

Alucard’s composure crumbled as more tears silently fell from his eyes. He didn’t want Trevor to see him in such a state, though it was already too late. The dhampir rose to his feet, but his lack of energy got him nowhere as he stumbled and collapsed. He choked out a sob as Trevor caught him.

“Hey, you’re okay,” Trevor said gently as he set Alucard back down. “Listen, the river nearly killed you. You need to rest. If you keep pushing yourself, you’re going to get worse.”

Alucard did not respond as he continued to cry. He desperately scrubbed at his face in an attempt to stop the tears, but to no avail. 

Trevor continued. “About the river...I was a huge ass, I know. I almost killed you, and I honestly have no idea how to make it up to you. I completely forgot about the running water effect on vampires until Sypha scolded me about it—believe me, she wouldn’t let me hear the end of it.” Trevor laughed slightly, but stopped when he realized that Alucard was still crying. 

The dhampir’s eyes were closed in humiliation. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. Why couldn’t he stop crying? His heart pounded in a state of panic, and he couldn’t catch his breath. 

Trevor watched his companion curiously, a hint of worry evident in his expression. Alucard was curled into himself. His arms were wrapped around his torso, his hands gripped tightly on his coat. His knees were drawn up to his chest, as if providing his own sense of security. Trevor leaned forward so he could see Alucard’s face beyond his long pale-blonde hair. The dhampir’s expression was panicked and scared, and he refused to open his eyes. Trevor recognized Alucard’s behavior as that of a person in distress. Alucard needed an anchor—a person to remain by his side until he had calmed down. Until he was okay. 

But Alucard had nobody, and Trevor had reminded him of that when he had provoked him by the river. 

“Alucard?” Trevor inquired, trying to get the dhampir’s attention.

The Belmont received no response as Alucard began to cry harder. Trevor’s heart broke for him. He moved closer to Alucard, a bit hesitant at first, but the need to comfort his companion motivated him to carry on. Trevor wrapped his arms around Alucard, and pulled him close in a tight embrace. The dhampir tensed up at the contact, but Trevor was relentless. Alucard lowered his knees away from his chest as the hunter pulled him closer. He felt small compared to Trevor’s large form, but the embrace was firm and secure. Still, Alucard shook with sobs, his head resting on Trevor’s chest as he clutched the hunter’s tunic. 

“You’re all right, Alucard,” Trevor said gently. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry...”

Trevor looked out towards the surrounding trees as he held on to Alucard. The dhampir trembled in his arms, though Trevor tried to keep him steady. He could feel Alucard’s heart pounding violently through his chest as his breaths came in smothered gasps. The dhampir’s grip on his tunic tightened as Alucard struggled to find a sense of security. 

Alucard once again felt as if he was going to die. He couldn’t regain his composure no matter how hard he tried, and he was panicking. The guilt of going on a mission to kill his father finally exploded in his chest, and it left him broken-hearted. He didn’t know why the Belmont had decided to stay by his side, but deep down, Alucard was grateful. 

Trevor was never good at comforting, but he was doing his best. Alucard was miserable, and it pained the hunter to see him in such a state. Trevor rested his right hand between Alucard’s shoulder blades in a firm hold. He allowed Alucard to bury his tear-stained face against his chest, and it seemed to comfort the dhampir, as his grip on Trevor’s tunic loosened slightly. 

After a few more moments, Alucard’s sobs died down to whimpers. He felt empty. His head now lay weakly against Trevor’s chest, and he could hear the consistent beat of the hunter’s heart. Alucard was losing consciousness, as his sobs had drained the little amount of energy that he had left. A final wave of tears left his eyes as they fell closed, and he welcomed the peace that the darkness provided.

Alucard went limp in Trevor’s arms, and the hunter looked down at his companion. The dhampir was unconscious, his breathing shallow. Trevor watched as the last tear fell down Alucard’s pale face, and the hunter let out a heavy sigh. He hesitantly broke the embrace, careful as to not wake Alucard in doing so. Trevor placed his right hand under Alucard’s torso, and he hooked his left arm under the dhampir’s knees. He carefully stood with Alucard in his arms, and began walking back to the campsite. 

***

Sypha was surprised that Trevor decided to go after Alucard. The dhampir made it quite clear that he didn’t want anything do to with Trevor, but Sypha knew that the hunter was very stubborn, and he didn’t really care about what other people wanted. Trevor seemed to want to apologize to Alucard, but she had no idea why it was taking so long. She had been sitting peacefully by the fire for about half an hour, lost in her own thoughts as she stared at the dancing flames of the campfire. A sudden rustling through the trees broke Sypha’s reverie, and she raised her arms up, ready to attack. But what she saw caused her to lower her defenses, and the sight broke her heart. 

Trevor stepped out of the tree line, with Alucard in his arms. He was carrying him rather than dragging him like he had earlier in the evening. Alucard’s head was tilted back, his hair falling in long tresses behind his head. His left arm rested on his torso, and his right arm hung limply towards the ground. Alucard’s face was wet with tears, and his expression was devoid of any signs of life. The only thing that let Sypha know that Alucard was even alive, was the weak rising and falling of the dhampir’s chest. 

“W-What happened?” Sypha asked, shocked. 

Trevor shook his head as Sypha helped him lay Alucard on the ground by the fire. 

“It...it was awful,” Trevor said. “He was already on the verge of tears when I found him. He looked scared...hurt.”

“Did he get attacked?” Sypha asked, worried.

“No, not _physically_ hurt,” Trevor clarified. “He’s heartbroken, Sypha. He...he broke down, and he cried. _I_ made him cry...I didn’t know what to do, Sypha.”

“What _did_ you do?” she asked slowly. 

“I held him,” Trevor said, as he looked down, slightly embarrassed. 

Sypha’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “And?”

“I told him that he was all right. And I told him that I’m sorry. At first he wanted me to leave, but he just looked so pitiful. I couldn’t leave him there alone. Then he started crying, and I sort of just...hugged him, you know? He didn’t say anything after that.”

Silence fell over the campsite before Sypha finally spoke. 

“You did good, Trevor,” she said. “I’m proud of you.”

“Well it was my fault in the first place...” Trevor muttered. 

“That may be so, but I think that it was good for him to let his emotions out.”

Trevor sighed. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Alucard suddenly shifted from his spot in the grass. A soft moan escaped his lips as he winced.

“Alucard?” Sypha called. 

The Speaker placed her hand on Alucard’s forehead and pushed away the stray strands of hair. She noticed that his face was still damp with tears. Alucard opened his eyes to see Sypha looking down at him. His head pounded slightly as he tried to make sense of what was going on. 

“Sypha...” he said, his voice almost a whisper. 

“Oh, you’re awake!” Sypha exclaimed, as she helped him sit up. “How do you feel?”

“I...I...” Alucard started, delirious. 

His eyes rested on Trevor, and he suddenly remembered everything that had happened in the woods. A look of horror and distress appeared on his face, and it looked like he was about to cry again. 

Alucard began to panic. “Belmont, I...I am sorry, you should never have seen that, I—”

“Alucard, stop!” Trevor exclaimed. “Stop. Please. It’s all right.”

“But—”

“No,” Trevor interrupted. “Don’t say anything. Just listen. I’m the one who should apologize. It was really senseless of me to insult you and your family like that, especially considering the fact that you are willing to help us kill your father. I’m sorry I pushed you in the river. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry.”

Alucard sniffed and wiped away a tear as he stared at Trevor. “You did not have to do that...”

“Do what?” Trevor asked, confused. 

“You did not have to stay with me...”

“I did, actually,” Trevor said flatly.

“What?” Alucard whispered.

“I did have to stay with you,” Trevor said. “Do you know why?”

Alucard shook his head. 

“I had to stay with you because you needed me to,” Trevor said.

“I would have managed just fine on my own.”

Trevor laughed. “And how would you have done that? When I found you, you were practically weeping into your hands. You passed out, and what then? You would have been unconscious in the woods, and God knows what could have gotten to you had I not carried you back here.”

“You...you carried me back—” Alucard stuttered, the realization suddenly dawning on him.

“Yeah, genius. Who else would have?” Trevor said. 

“I—”

“That is beside the point!” Sypha interjected. 

“She’s right,” Trevor agreed. “The point is, Alucard, that as much as you think that you can go off and be alone all the time, you’re wrong. You’re not an emotionless monster. You’re still half-human, and humans can’t just bottle up their emotions and pretend that they don’t exist.”

“I...I understand,” Alucard said quietly, as he looked at the ground. 

Sypha suddenly wrapped her arms around the dhampir and pulled him close. Alucard’s breath caught in his chest. His arms hovered over Sypha, as if hesitant to return the gesture. 

“It’s okay,” Sypha said, hugging him tighter. 

Alucard embraced the Speaker as his emotions overwhelmed him. He clutched the fabric of her robe tightly and buried his face in the blue cloth. Sypha held the back of his head and comforted him as best as she could. Alucard wept quietly in Sypha’s arms, feeling his energy completely drain. He still hadn’t fully recovered from the running water, and it was taking a toll on his body. Alucard calmed down after a moment, and Sypha held his shoulders so she could look at his face. Trevor came up behind Alucard and put a comforting hand on the dhampir’s back. 

“Are you okay?” Sypha asked. 

Alucard nodded as his eyes began to close. 

“You need to get some rest,” Trevor said. “A good night’s sleep should help you regain your strength after the river incident.”

“We can take watch,” Sypha added. “Lie down. Get some rest. We can continue our journey in the morning.”

“All right,” Alucard said quietly. “Thank you both...For everything.”

“Don’t mention it,” Trevor said. 

“We are here for you, Alucard,” Sypha said. “Don’t ever forget that.”

Alucard nodded as he lay down by the campfire. Trevor patted Alucard’s arm as he sat down next to him. Sypha joined the hunter, and the two stayed by Alucard’s side as he drifted off to sleep. Sypha leaned on Trevor’s shoulder and smiled up at him. He returned the smile as they both enjoyed the silence of the night. Sypha hugged Trevor’s arm, and she watched as Alucard’s chest rose and fell with the calm, quiet breaths of a peaceful slumber. 


End file.
